You might be feeling virtuous as you zip up your gym bag and head off home after your dive and maybe used a shared shower. You feel pleasantly tired after your dive; its been like a full workout but you could be walking off with more than just those feel-good endorphins... Experts are warning that sports gear, including dive kit -and even your kit bag - can harbor a host of unpleasant bacteria. FIONA DUFFY reports on the germs lurking in your kit.

Read the whole page, the whole truth not by us but BY NATIONAL NEWSPAPERS

As a diver, practice buoyancy control skills in a pool or sandy area before diving near a coral reef. Make sure your gauges and equipment are secured to avoid accidental contact with the reef, and never touch, stand on, or collect coral.

Report all damage of coral reefs to dive operators and scientific or conservation groups that monitor coral reef health.

Enroll in an specialty course with a professional Dive Center to increase your knowledge about coral reefs and other aquatic environments.

Public health experts warned that the strain, Community-Acquired MRSA, can trigger a lethal type of pneumonia which infects those with no connection to a hospital.

CA-MRSA causes skin infections which show up as boils, abscesses and inflammation. It can also cause joint infections and bacteria in the blood.

The antibiotic-resistant bug is normally spread through contact with those with cuts and abrasions.

It has been found in communal changing areas in sports centres and gyms an don shared equipment.

Transmitted via damp & dirty towels & clothing.

Studies in the U.S. have identified cases among those taking part in all sports - where the bug could be transmitted via dirty/damp towels.

Dr Ron Cutler, an MRSA expert at the University of London, confirmed that poorly cleaned towels issued free by health clubs might be responsible for spreading the bug and that all areas that have shared showers,should be watched and cleaned

He said: "This is a very dangerous organism. I would strongly advise people to take their own towel to the gym. In a hospital you know bedding and towels are cleaned to a certain level. But in a gym you have no idea."

Dr Angela Kearns, the head of the agency's staphylococcus reference laboratory, said CA-MRSA can cause boils leading to severe infections which may need treatment in hospital.

Community- based MRSA strains were first reported in the U.S. 20 years ago, where it is now an established health problem, and more recently in countries such as France and Germany.

BE THERE FOR OTHERS

Preventative action:

If using a towel to wipe equipment dont place the old dirty/damp towel back into kit bag with your wetsuit or regulators. If the towel has been on the side by old (stale) water don't use it to wipe your hands or face; there's a danger of picking up other people's germs.

Use separate towels and cloths for your body and your equipment.

To avoid the spread of fungal infections, don't use a towel that's been used on your feet or underarms or had contact with the floor.

Use an anti-CA-MRSA Product.

Use a anti-bacterial treatment product.

Treat your kit before you put it away.

Sharing towels has been linked to the spread of a new type of MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in athletic and sports teams."Community-acquired strains of MRSA are quite different from the hospital type," says Dr Sally Bloomfield of the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene in London.

"They have acquired the ability to produce a potent tissue toxin called Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL), which can lead to skin and soft tissue infections, including flesh-eating forms.

"These bacteria can infect the young and healthy. Transmission via close contact, sharing towels and sports equipment is a significant risk factor."

You can also pass on threadworm parasites and infections such as diarrhoea and tummy upsets through towels, says Professor Jean Emberlin of the University of Worcester.